1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns a shoulder cradle useful for violins, violas and similar stringed instruments intended for support on the shoulder of the musician. More particularly, it is concerned with a shoulder cradle which is provided with a stepped shoulder-engaging shelf and which maintains the instrument at the proper position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Violins produce tones when a bow is drawn across the strings, known as arco, or when the strings are finger-plucked (pizzacato). As used herein, the term "violin" is intended to include similar instruments such as violins of reduced size, such as half or three-quarter sized violins, and violas, where the instrument is typically positioned between the shoulder and chin of the musician. The violin produces a sympathetic vibration between the instrument's belly and back, which adds volume and resonance to the sound produced by the vibration of the strings. A chin rest is typically provided adjacent the tail piece between the belly of the violin body which provides a support between the musician's chin and the violin body.
Shoulder rests have sometimes been used between the violin body and the musician's shoulder. In the simplest form, the cushion includes a small fabric or elastic cushion which if held between the back of the violin body and the shoulder of the wearer. These shoulder rests help to support and cushion the violin against the shoulder of the wearer whereby the hard wooden back of the violin is separated from the musician's shoulder. However, they have lacked features which would inhibit the violin from slippage on the shoulder and which promote proper playing positions.